HAZARD REDUCTION GRASS TREE BURNING PROGRAM A mitigation strategy to reduce bushfire risk within the City of Joondalup
PRESENTATION OUTLINE ▪ Introduction ▪ Background ▪ Hazard Reduction Grass Tree Burning Program ▪ Next Steps… Photograph: 2000 - unplanned bushfire event within Central Park, Joondalup
BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION Photograph: Sorrento Beach Photograph: 2016 - Grassbird Avenue, Joondalup: Post unplanned bushfire event opposite Yellagonga Regional Park
BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT ▪ Bushfire risk management is a key responsibility for local government, including meeting legislative obligations under the Bush Fires Act 1954 and Emergency Management Act 2005. ▪ In April 2019 Council noted the establishment of the City’s Hazard Reduction Grass Tree Burning Program. ▪ The City has been improving its knowledge and prioritised approach to be taken in regard to bushfire mitigation to reduce the overall risk Photograph: 2011 - unplanned bushfire event of bushfire. within Central Park, Joondalup
OBJECTIVES ▪ Protecting life, critical infrastructure, property and assets from unplanned bushfire events. ▪ Protecting the landscape, ecological and amenity values of the bushland. ▪ Protecting the bushland’s flora and fauna diversity. ▪ Using a coordinated and prioritised approach to reduce bushfire risk. ▪ Fulfilling obligations under fire related legislation and undertake best-practice fire management. ▪ Increasing community bushfire education Photograph: 2016 - unplanned bushfire event and awareness. within Yellagonga Regional Park, Joondalup
HIGH INTENSITY BUSHFIRE EVENTS Bushfire Risk Management, including managing heavy fuel loads, will assist in reducing the risk and intensity of an unplanned high intensity bushfire event, which is likely to cause: ▪ Severe impact on the health and biodiversity of the bushland. ▪ Significant damage to native flora and fauna. ▪ Destruction of habitat and conservation values over large areas. ▪ Extreme difficulty in suppressing, fighting and controlling the fire. Photograph: 2019 - unplanned bushfire event within Yellagonga Regional Park, Joondalup
FIREFIGHTER SAFETY Hazard reduction burns are essential for firefighter safety. Unmanaged heavy fuel loads: ▪ Increase the likelihood of firefighter injury and/or death. ▪ May mean firefighters are not able to directly combat a fire but may let it burn to the firebreaks or use fire as a firefighting tactic. ▪ Have contributed to burn-over of firefighting appliances and potential increased loss of houses. Photograph by DFES operational photographer and firefighter: 2015 - unplanned Northcliffe bushfire event
BUSHFIRE MITIGATION ACTIONS – City of Joondalup ▪ Weed control (mechanical and chemical) ▪ Firebreak and fire access way installation and maintenance ▪ Manual fuel load reduction ▪ Controlled access to sites ▪ Community education and awareness ▪ Firebreak inspections and fuel assessments. NEW: Hazard reduction Grass Tree burning. Photograph: 2019 - firebreak improvement works adjacent to homes at Craigie Open Space, Craigie
BACKGROUND BACKGROUND Photograph: Sorrento Beach Photograph: 2016 - Warwick Open Space bushland, Warwick
FUEL AND FUEL LOADS ▪ Contributes in part to how hot a fire can be and how fast it can spread. ▪ Is a key factor that land managers need to manage. ▪ The term “fuel load” indicates the amount of fuels that will be consumed during a bushfire and includes the dry dead skirts of Grass Trees, dead leaves, twigs and bark. ▪ Fuel load is expressed in terms of tonnes per hectare (t/ha). Photograph: 2019 - Grass Trees with large dry dead skirts within Yellagonga Regional Park, Joondalup
BURNING TERMS ▪ Interchangeable burning terms include: hazard reduction burning, prescribed burning, controlled burning, and planned burning. ▪ These terms describe burning in a predetermined area for the management, control and reduction of fuel loads. ▪ Burning is often referred to as prescribed burning because they follow a ‘prescription’. ▪ The term ‘Mosaic Burning’ is commonly used to describe burning patches within a burn area to leave a mosaic pattern of Photograph: 2019 - DFES planned hazard reduction burnt and unburnt areas. burn at Warwick Senior High School for the DoE
BURN PRESCRIPTIONS A Burn Prescription sets out the details for conducting a particular burn, including: ▪ Objective and description of the burn ▪ Personnel needs and safety ▪ Fauna species habitat and rare flora ▪ Community consultation ▪ Target weather conditions ▪ Hazards that may be encountered ▪ Smoke consideration ▪ Traffic control. Photograph: 2019 - DFES planned hazard reduction burn at Warwick Senior High School for the DoE
LOW INTENSITY BURN CONDITIONS ▪ Hazard reduction burns are generally undertaken in appropriate weather conditions so the fire burns slowly at low intensity. ▪ Hazard reduction burns are normally conducted from autumn to spring, when: o Weather is mild o Fuels are reasonably moist o Fire behaviour is easier to manage and control. Photograph: 2014 - planned hazard reduction Grass Tree burn – Ridgewood Park, Wanneroo
GRASS TREES / BALGAS ▪ Grass Trees make up a high proportion of the vegetation within the City’s reserves. ▪ Many have long unburnt dead skirts which are an extreme source of fuels as they are highly flammable. ▪ The tightly-packed leaf bases shield the stem from heat and allow Grass Trees to survive the passage of fire. ▪ Fire from a low intensity burn can stimulate Grass Trees to flower and seed.
DFES LOW INTENSITY HAZARD REDUCTION BURNING VIDEOS
DFES HAZARD REDUCTION BURN: WARWICK SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DFES hazard reduction burn at Warwick Senior High School on behalf of the Department of Education. The aim of the burn was to: ▪ Reduce fuel loading of the burn area. ▪ Protect Warwick Senior High School. ▪ Provide a safer community. ▪ Reduce negative impacts to environmental sensitivities.
DFES / DBCA HAZARD REDUCTION BURN: YELLAGONGA R-PARK DFES / DBCA joint hazard reduction burn within 10 ha of un-allocated crown land in Yellagonga Regional Park. The aim of the burn was to: ▪ Reduce fuel loading of the burn area ▪ Provide a safer community ▪ Protect life and properties, including the hospital and civic centre ▪ Reduce negative impacts to environmental sensitivities.
HAZARD REDUCTION GRASS HAZARD REDUCTION GRASS TREE BURNING PROGRAM TREE BURNING PROGRAM (COJ MANAGED CROWN LAND (COJ Managed Crown Land) Photograph: 2014 - planned hazard reduction Grass Tree burn – Ridgewood Park, Wanneroo Photograph: Burns Beach
HAZARD REDUCTION GRASS TREE BURNING PROGRAM ▪ Not intended to replace existing fuel load reduction activities within City managed crown land/reserves, but rather to supplement those activities if required. ▪ Supported by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). ▪ Planned and conducted by experienced personnel. ▪ Planned so as to reduce impacts to the community and the environment. ▪ Targets the burning of selected Grass Trees, including underlying and nearby Photograph: 2014 - planned hazard reduction leaf litter. Grass Tree burn – Ridgewood Park, Wanneroo
TARGETED GRASS TREE BURNING PHOTOS Photographs: 2014 - planned hazard reduction Grass Tree burn – Ridgewood Park, Wanneroo
TARGETED GRASS TREE BURNING PHOTOS Photographs: 2014 - planned hazard reduction Grass Tree burn – Ridgewood Park, Wanneroo
TARGETED GRASS TREE BURNING PHOTO Photograph: 2014 - planned hazard reduction Grass Tree burn – Ridgewood Park, Wanneroo
TARGETED GRASS TREE BURNING PHOTO Photograph: 2014 - planned hazard reduction Grass Tree burn – Ridgewood Park, Wanneroo
WORKING TOGETHER TO REDUCE BUSHFIRE RISK Proposed hazard reduction Grass Tree burning within appropriate crown land reserves managed by the City will be investigated collaboratively with the: ▪ Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) ▪ Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) – Parks and Wildlife ▪ Friends Groups (in relation to their specific reserves). Photograph: 2019 - DFES planned hazard reduction burn at Warwick Senior High School for the DoE – With observers from Friends of Warwick Bushland
WARWICK OPEN SPACE BUSHFIRE MITIGATION WORKS To reduce the risk of bushfire to the school the following works have been undertaken: ▪ Manual fuel load reduction within 2 hectares of bushland adjacent to and north of the school. ▪ Firebreak access track improvements adjacent and north/west of the school. ▪ Vehicle access gate installation within the northern fence to provide access to and from the school and bushland. ▪ Improved turn around section between Photograph: 2018 - manual fuel load reduction firebreaks for firefighting vehicles. works within Warwick Open Space bushland
WARWICK OPEN SPACE BUSHLAND WINTER HAZARD REDUCTION GRASS TREE BURN ▪ Further reduce bushfire risk to Warwick Senior High School. ▪ Recommended targeted burning of Grass Trees, including underlying and nearby leaf litter. ▪ Within 0.5 hectares north of the school. GIS aerial view: 2019 - Warwick Open Space bushland north of the school
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